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CHRONICLE 



or THl- 



Lark IN Family 



n r T II R 



TOWNE i)/" WESTERLIE attd COLONY 
of RHOAli*ISLAND IN NEW ENGLAND 



■^r>.J»'v 



NUMBER 1, iyu« 

Published ior the Larkin Family Associatioi^ by 
AVilliam H. Larkin, Jr.. LaPorte, Ind. 






^ 







1 



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CHRONICLE 



OF THE 



Larkin Family 



OF THE 



TOWNE of WESTERLIE and COLONY 
of RHOAD ISLAND IN NEW ENGLAND 



NUMBER 1, 1908 

Published for the Larkin Family Association by 
■William H. Larkin, Jr., LaPorte, Ind. 



V A 



Edward Larkin, Newport, R. I., 1655. 

Freeman. 

This Edward Larkin who appears as a freeman of the 
Colony at the time and place noted may he emigrant ances- 
tor. Whence he came is not certain. Some v/ho have 
made a study of the family geneology think him son of 
Edward Larkin of Charleston. Mass.. 1638, member of the 
Ancient and Honorable Artillery Comipany. No direct 
proof of this, however, has been found. 

He may have come from the Barbadoes, wMth which 
islands Newport at that time carried on a thriving- com- 
merce. Hotten's "List of Persons of Quality, Emigrants, 
Religious Exiles, etc., to the American Plantations, 1600- 
1700." gives the following: Xboard th.e Amitie 1635, Oct. 
13, Geo. Downes, Mr. bound to St. Christophers from the 
Port of London, Richard Larkyn, age 35. Also "Tmbarqued 
in the Truelove dc London 1635, Jun. 10. Roger Williams 
age 16. Thomas Larkyn, age 15. 

Edward Larkin was probably an Episcopalian or 
Churcli of England man. July 13, 1737, his son subscril)cd 
to the founding of the firsf I'piscopal church in Charles- 
town. 1655 the year of Edward's appearance in Newport 
was tlie year of the unearthing of the royalist conspiracy 
against Lord Protector Cromwell. Edward Larkin as a 
Church of England man and royalist may have had part in 
the conspiracy and cscai)ed to the colonies upon its dis- 
coverv. 



Misquamicut. 1660. 

About 1660 six Newport men were £:;ranted a "patent 
royal" to a certain fertile valley on the western border of 
the Colony. This tract first bore the name Misquamicut. 
This later was chang-ed to Westerly. 

The tract of land covered l)y the grant was ten miles 
wide by twenty miles long. It was divided into eighteen 
shares of which Edward Larkin purchased one quarter of 
one share. This made him proprietor of approximately 
eighteen hundred acres of land. 

The first settlers seem to have taken possession in i66t. 

The old Misquamicut boundaries include the present 

townships of Westerly, Charlestown. Richmond and Hop- 

kinton. 

For two and a half centuries this spot has been the 

home of the Larkin familv. 



King Philip^s War. 1675. 

The war with Philip, son of Massasoit, broke out at 
Swansea July 14, 1675, and quickly spread over the whole 
New England Frontier. The Narragansett tribe favored 
Philip's cause and would have joined him liad they not 
been extenninated in an attack on their stronghold ordered 
by the Colonial Commissioners Nov. 2, 1675. Edward Lar- 
kin took part in this war and probably in this expedition. 
Bodge in his "Soldiers of King Philip's War" states that 
as a reward to the Connecticut Volunteers, Narragansett 



Township (now Volunlown ) was given them. A hst ;)f 
those who took part in the war and received Voluntown lots 
includes Stantons, Pembletons, Griswolds, Babcocks and 
Edward Larkin who received lot 176, and lot 155 in the 
"Cedar Swamp." 



Revolutionary War Notes. 

1776. Air. John Larkin of liopkinton, one of a com- 
mittee from each town to procure arms. 

1776. Resolution passed by General Assembly "I, the 
subscriber, do solemnly declare that I believe the War, Re- 
sistance," etc., etc.," "just and necessary." etc. Signed bv 
John Larkin, Timothy Larkin, etc. 

1776. John Larkin, member of the body which severed 
the relations of the Colony with Great Britain. 

1776. Timothy Larkin, Lieut. Washington (Co.), 
Row Galley. See "Crowell's Spirit of '76." 

1776. Covil Larkin, Soldier of the Revolution. 

1777- John Larkin, Ensign, Maxon's Company, Dyer's 
Regiment. 

1777. Samuel Larkin, Elisha Larkin, members of the 
2nd Richmond Company. See Richmond Council & Pro- 
bate Record. 

^777- John Larkin, Jr., member Second Company, 
Richmond. Richmond Council & Probate. 

1777. Timothy Larkin, "a sick soldier on duty in this 
state." R. L Col. records. 



Derivation of the Name. Heraldry. 

TIk' iiaiiH' Larkin is (kTi\c(l dircctlx from tlu' oldci- 
fonn Laurence or Lawrence which in turn came Irom ihr 
Latin form Laurentius. Tts home is Kent. England. See 
Guppy's "Homes of Eng:Hsh Names." Diminutive of Law- 
rence was Laury or Larry. Termination "kin" means son 
of. Larrykin. Laurykind, Laukin, Lorkin. Larkin are evi- 
dently derivations similar to Jenkin, Hopkin, Atkin. liarkin, 
Haskin. etc. 

As a matter of fact man\ Larkins in luigland were 
g:ranted coats of arms. The arms of some Lawrence fam- 
ilies are similar to those granted to Larkins indicating com- 
mon origin. The Larkin arms were mainly distinguished 
by the characteristic three leopards faces on an ermine 
shield. See Fox Davis "Armorial Families," "The Genea- 
logist" of 1878, Burke's "Gen'l Armory" and other au- 
thorities. 

Larkins in England. 

H. B. Guppy says "One hundred years since the prin- 
cipal family of Larkin lived at Grove in Wickham Parish, 
Kent, and there are several memorials of the family in the 
church." He states also that in Kent, one quarter of one 
per cent, of the population bears the name Larkin. Green- 
wood's "County Kent History" states that Larkin Hall is 
near Frindsbury Church, ij4 miles from Rochester. On 
Bolev Hill, Rochester is a monument to Chas. Larkin. 



See Robert Langdon's l^ook entitled "Charles Dickens and 
Rochester" for description and cut. Langdon says "of the 
names of characters throup^hont the works of Dickens many 
are drawn from these towns" (Rochester and Chatham). 
"Jasper, Cobb, Dowler. Larkins and many others are well 
known local names." Rev. Lambert B. Larkins: wrote the 
"Doomsday Book of Kent." John Larking was sherifif of 
Kent 1800. William Larkins of Lewisham, Kent, was 
Accomptant General 1772-1793, at Fort William, Bengal 
under Warren Hastings and the Marquis Conwallis. Edward 
Larkvn, B. D., was rector of Titsey 1640, etc. Volumes of 
data are available connecting the names Larkin and Kent 
Countv, England. 



The Larkin Family Association. 

During recent rears several persons interested in tlie 
history of the Larkin family and desiring to record such 
facts as were known and available, started independently, 
and from difiFerent motives, a movement in this direction. 
Mrs. John L. Kenyon of WVoming, R. T., had long been 
interested and was probably the pioneer in the field. Mrs. 
Frank Larkin of Westerly by her work in gathering data 
has earned the right to lasting gratitude from all. Miss 
Annette E. Tucker of Attleboro. with practical ends in 
view, formed a little Larkin Association whose purpose was 
a social meeting annually. The writer descending from a 
branch long removed from the familv home started an in- 



vcstii^-ation in the Boston Pul^lic Librar}-, purely as a search 
for information, and resultino- from a visit in En,G:Iand. 
These various enero^es fortunately have been bonded toi^eth- 
er and the work and interest now center in the Larkin Family 
Association which, while yet in the infancy of its usefulness, 
continues to grow and j^^ain streng-th. The Association has 
already met for several years during the summer months. 
In 1907 it gathered at East Providence, 1908 the meeting 
was at Watch Hill and for 1909 it is proposed to meet at 
Narragansett Pier. The secretary of the Association, Miss 
Annette E. Tucker, 39 Dean St., Attleboro. Mass., will be 
S'Jad to have the names of those interested on her mailing 
list. The writer, who is sort of self constituted historian 
and chronicler of the Association till a more worthy scribe 
be found, will thankfully receive any data whatsoever relat- 
ing to the family and furnish inquirers with lines of descent 
and any other information at hand. It is proposed to pub- 
lish a family history at some future time, but as it is a 
work of some years to get together the necessary data, it 
was thought that the publication, occasionally, of a pamphlet 
of this kind woukl meantime hold the interest, tend to pro- 
mote the welfare of the family Association and bring addi- 
tional facts to light. The writer has barely outlined the 
mass of interesting data already on hand. All persons 
interested are invited to send in the following : , 

1. Lines of descent yet unrecorded. 

2. Facts relating to Military, Naval and Public service 
of descendants. 

3. General facts of interest. 






4. Names and addresses of those who are likely to he 
interested in the Larkin Family Association. 

Matters upon which particular information is desired : 

1. What became of the "Great Bible" bequeathed by 
Edward II? Widow Mary to David III? To Hazard IV? 

2. Information bearing on the possible relationship of 
Edward of Newport, 1655. to Edward Larkin of Charles- 
town, Mass., 1638. 

3. Information relating to the case of Larkin vs. 
Larkin, Supreme Court of Colony of R. I., 1757-8. Copies 
of the plats shown in evidence. 







